World Sauntering Day was introduced in the 1970s as a response to the increasingly popular activity of jogging. W.T. Rabe, the Public Relations Director of the Grand Hotel in Mackinac Island, Michigan, thought that people needed to slow down and smell the roses instead of rushing around everywhere. Thus, World Sauntering Day was born.

According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, to saunter is “to walk about in an idle or leisurely manner”. By definition, World Sauntering Day encourages us to take it easy and enjoy life as it comes. Celebrate by taking an aimless stroll with your friends, your canine companion, or just by yourself.